"The Bunch" (Bob Darby, Steve Fogarty, Dave Zodrow and I) drove up to Adam Lake Friday night after work to mtn bike to the James Lake cabin. By the time we hit the trailhead it was about 7:30pm and pretty dark once we were into the forrest, especially since the skies were overcast. Our headlights illuminated the way, but nothing outside of the light beam was visible. It was like riding in a long dark tunnel.
About 20 minutes into the ride. Z-Man went down with a yelp, a thud, and a cracking noise. He ended up OK, but his Gary Fisher Joshua suffered a broken derailure hanger. After discussing our options we decided to remove the derailure, the cables, shorten the chain and turn his expensive multi-speed mtn bike into a single speed. After minor surgery under a couple of helmet lights, we were on our way.
It was then that we noticed it was raining. The damp trail became a little more slippery, and Bob hit the deck almost right away. He picked himself up, the fall being partially the result of the backpack altering his center of gravity as his bike slipped slightly. We took off again, although somewhat slower and more carefully than before.
The rest of the ride to the cabin was enjoyable in spite of the rain, and the slippery ground. The forrest at night is somewhat erie, but it can also be peaceful. Our journey to the cabin, including the semi-extensive repairs took about 2.5 hours.
Once at the cabin we stoked the stove, shed our wet gear, unpacked our bags, and prepared supper. Spaghetti with italian sausage and french bread was on the menu! The warm food, the friendly conversation, the warmth of the stove made for a relaxing evening. Sleep came shortly after.
The next morning we woke to chilly temps and heavy fog outside, but inside the cabin it was warm and cozy. Eventually everyone emerged from their sleeping bags... I think Steve was the last one to rise. His cold was hard at work making him feel miserable. For breakfast we had scrambled eggs, blueberry pancakes, and fried spam.
I think it was around 11:30 when we finally saddled up and left the cabin. About 1.4k down the trail Z-Man's front chainring snapped off of the crank arm, a victim of the single speed conversion as the chain jumped cogs, increasing the chain tension to the point where the chainring gave way. Our only option was to walk back out.
The walk was actually enjoyable, but Dave was a little bummed about his broken bike. I think I would have been too.
All in all however, everyone enjoyed themselves and began to look forward to the next adventure.